uugghhh... frustrated!

[Sporetica]

So as you all know I gave my girls to my cousin to keep an eye on for about a week and a half or so. Well I got them back last night and its a disaster to say the least. There are "nubs" or hard bubble looking things all over it but they are like DARK green/ black. The cakes were bruised when I gave them to her but now they are almost completely bruised all over. I did the q-tip test and I am not sure if I rubbed too hard but the q-tip had a slightly greenish tint after I rubbed it. But the "bruising" (what I am afraid could be mold) isn't furry or anything.it looks like every picture of bruising I have seen. I just wondered if you rub it too hard that some of the bruised matter will come off on the q-tip. Also the cakes were DRY so I am re-dunking them. Its been 3 weeks in the FC and they haven't even pinned yet. Do I wait it out and keep them in the FC or just throw them out? Also I cut into one to see if the bruising was just on the outside or if it was in the cake but the inside it perfectly fine.. No discoloration at all. And once again I am having trouble keeping the humidity up.. I can't find a good gauge to save my life. They are all shitty and keep crapping out on me.. Any brand suggestions? Please help guys.. Thanks

[Baphom3t]

I can't and won't help you without pics.
Remember the saying?
But just going with this lame attempt to describe a major failure...
You fucked up!!

Baph

[psilocybin warrior]

I'm with Baph on this one.

PW

[Deadneck]

The Heros have united to fight evildoers once again! Kick ass!

[shroomzer]

I'm thinking you dump them and start over.

[Sporetica]

I know that pics are important.. If I could post them I would but I simply cannot. I just didn't know if it sounded familiar to anyone about what it could be. Luckily I only had 3 cakes in the FC.. I still have 4 that are in their jars so I still have a chance to make this work.. I didn't want to fuck them all up and since its my first attempt I just played it safe and put 3 in.. So no one knows what the nubby things are? Not even a thought or idea?

[heartx]

I'll try to be nice and help you a little. If it's Dark green and black I am pretty sure it is mold, so you don't really need the q-tip test. If it's blue or blue/green and your not sure it's bruising you make the q-tip test but black I don't think it would be bruising. If they haven't pin in 3 weeks, they might have miss something like humidity if they were dry. They need to be at 99+% if you can.

[psilocybin warrior]

Phuck the q-tip test, throw it out.
Green/Black=throw away pronto

PW

[tripsareforkids]

how do i get spores?

[Deadneck]

Ummmm, try using the search function on this forum. It will do wonders for you. Your question wasn't even relevant to this thread either. Try again.......

[veda_sticks]

doesnt sound to good, howver the q-tip test isnt to great, bruising can transfer to a q-tip.

Mouild is usally very easy to spot. Mould looks like couloured sand ontop of your myceliu, where as bruising is the colour of the mycelium itself.

Not sure of the black though.

Heavy bruising is a sign of your cakes drying out. If your humidity is very low, they will dry out fast, also you need to mist your terrarium to replae moisture that evaporates from your cakes. The steady rate of evaporation caused by fae and rehydration is a pinning trigger.


what fruiting chamber are you using?

[crazyd]

As for your question about humidity guages, I've had problems with them too.  I first bought a cheap $8 non-digital and it was just crap, wouldn't read above 90.  Then I bought a digital, but I left it in the FC and it crapped out too...I think the water actually gets into the unit and messes it up.  So now I have one where the humidity reader is at the end of a long cord attached to the actual digital screen that shows the humidity.  I think it was like $28 at PetSmart.  I just use this every week or so to make sure my RH is correct, and then I take it out. 

[veda_sticks]

i wouldnt even go with a digital with an external sensor, the become inacurate above 80% due to the transducers geting wet, plus once your fruits sporolate they get covered in spores making it even more inacurate.

You can get a decent hygrometer that you can calibrate for less than your digi. and its nice quality too.


Look in a cigar shop, or a cigar website, they sell humidors, if you look in the humidor accesseries you can get a nice quality hygrometer for $20.

[fattrout]

the digital ones with an external sensor work just fine, and will last along time. i have tested many.

[heartx]

And you don't have to leave the hygrometer 24hours a day. I check humidity 2 times a week.

[fattrout]

yeppppppppp......